The Loretto Chapel in Santa Fé, New Mexico has attracted 250,000 visitors annually due to the mysterious staircase built there in the late 19th century. When the chapel was completed, the nuns discovered they had no way to access the second level. After 9 days of prayer to St. Joseph, a carpenter appeared and constructed a spiral staircase without nails or a central support post in just one day. The identity of the carpenter was never discovered and the wood used does not exist locally, adding to the belief it was a miracle from St. Joseph. The staircase remains an architectural marvel as engineers cannot explain its structural integrity without supports.

1. City of Santa Fé, in New Mexico,
USA.
A mystery of over 130 years and
attracting around 250 thousand
visitors every year. Point of
attention : Loretto Chapel

2. What makes this chapel different
from all others is that the subject of
the supposed miracle that took place
in it is a Staircase

3. A chapel was constructed
somewhere in the 19th century. When
it was ready, the nuns found that
there was no staircase built to take
them to the top level

4. They spent 9 days praying to St.
Joseph, who was a carpenter.

5. On the last day, a stranger knocked
at their door and said that he was a
carpenter who could help them build
the staircase.

6. He constructed the
staircase, all by himself,
which was considered to
be the pride of
carpentery.

7. None knew how the staircase
could stand by itself as it did not
have a central support.

8. Then the carpenter, who did not use
a single nail or glue to construct this
staircase, disappeared without even
waiting for his payment.

9. There was a rumour in the city of
Santa Fé, that the carpenter was
St. Joseph himself ...

10. ...sent by Jesus Christ to attend
to the nuns’ problem. Since then,
the staircase was known to be
called “miraculous” and turned
out to be the site for pilgrimage.

11. There are 3 mysteries in this
case, says the spokesman of the
chapel : the 1st mystery is that,
until today, the identity of this
man is not known.

12. The second mystery – all the
architects, engineers and
scientists say that they cannot
understand how this staircase
can balance without any
central support.

13. And the 3rd mystery – from where
did the wood come? They have
checked and found out that the type
of wood used to build the staircase
does not exist in the entire region

14. There is another detail that has
just increased the belief in the
supposed miracle : The staircase
has 33 steps, the age of Jesus
Christ.
M. Gallo